Sewage distributor



Nov. 2, 1943. A, B HODGES 2,333,177

SEWAGE DI STRIBUTOR Filed Sept. 28, 1940 INVENTOR.

Patented Nov.. 2, 1943 Albert B. Hodges, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Infilco i Incorporated, a corporation of Delaware Application September 28, 1940, Serial No. 358,755 a '8 Claims. (oi. 2-99-69) This invention relates to apparatus for treatment of sewage and the like and particularly to sewage distributing means for biological trickling filters. I I

In trickling filters sewage is distributed on top of a filter bed of crushed rock or the like. The

sewage distributor member may be a fixed systemtofpipes equipped, withspray nozzles which discharge sewage under a variable head, or a distributor pipe or conduit may cover the area of the filter bed .by moving over the same. Movable distributors are more common than stationary ones since they are more accurate and also more economical, particularly when using rotary pipes receiving sewage through a center column. Therefore, the invention will be described and il lustrated as applied to a rotary center-feed distributor.

It is a general object of my invention to provide a movable distributor of improved design and efiect.

Another object is to provide a rotating distributor discharging the sewage in a spray which arrives upon the filter bed surface as a broad sheet of drops with substantially uniform density of drops along its width;

Another objectis to provide a movable distributor which covers the filter bed area with a relatively small number of distributor pipes or arms, and with a relatively small number of discharge openings.

Another object is to provide discharge devices in a movable distributor which allow for easy adjustment of the sprays issuing therefrom.

Another object is to provide a movable distributor a discharge member through which the filter bedmay be uniformly dosed.

Another object is to provide means for controlling the speed of a movable distributor;

Another object is to provide meansfor thoroughly aerating the sewage before ,it reaches the filter bed. v

Still another object is to provide a simple, ef, ficient and economical device which can b installed upon existing apparatus, enabling the same to obtain the several desirable results indicated.

Still other objects may become apparentin the course of the description;

In the drawing Fig. 1 shows one embodiment of the invention inplan view. i

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail from--Fig. 1 partly in section.

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the detail of Fig. 2.

The trickling filter l receives sewage from a conduit ll whichfeeds the rotary distributor l2, the direction of motion of which is taken as front or forward in the figures and description. A motor-driven pump l3 may bein'terposed on; the inlet pipe H in order to provide or regulate the necessary head for the flow of sewage into the rotary distributor. suitably spaced along the pipes or arms of the" distributor, preferably in the side of the pipes or arms. Each nozzle member may include a nippl threaded into the distributorv arm or it' may be secured'to the arm in any other suitable manner. A bracket I5 i clamped between each nozzle member and the arm; or the brackets may be integral with the nozzle members, or with the arm, or may be secured to' the armor nozzle members in any suitable way. A link I8 is pivotally secured to each bracket so that it can" rock in a vertical plane.

Each link supports an inclined spray plate '11 having a flat and smooth upper surface of semicircular shape with the full diameter held in horizontal position. A shown in the drawing; the plate [1 is adjustably mounted on link [6' by means of a pivot or pin 28, and is held in a desired angular position "thereon by any suitable means, such as a nut 29. Alternatively the plate maybe semi-elliptic'or approximately so with the large diameterin horizontal position In some cases the plate may be dished upwardly or downwardly, along the horizontal diameteror along the vertical radius; but for simplicity I prefer a fiat plate, and the results of the same are generally satisfactory. The horizontal diameter of the plate is preferably about eight times the diameter of the nozzle. f The axis of thenozr zle crossesthe vertical radius of the plate at a point closely adjacent the center of the half circle or half ellipse forming the plate.

of sewage which is discharged from the nozzle member. Thus the jet is thoroughly aerated, and

changed into a broad and well distributed spray, before it arrives upon the filter bed surface. In

order to hold the spray plate and 'its pivoted link insu'ch position against the pressureo'f the jet, the resistance of the wind an d so on, I pro-' vide a spring l8 which tends to move the link and Nozzle members M are The dis tance between this point of intersection and'the discharge end of thenozzle is preferably about two to four times the diameter of the nozzle. These specific shapes and dimensions of course position by pushing it down against the spring l8. As soon as the spray plate is'released the spring automatically returns the plate to its previous position, under the control of the screw proper shapes, dimensions and operating conditions of the nozzles and associated parts the zone covered by each spray is very gently curved; it almost coincides with the filter radius, in spite of the considerable extension of this zone along the filter radius. Furthermore, I have found that the density of drops in this zone, along the extension of the zone radially of the filter, is substantially uniform.

and stop mechanism. In order to facilitate the v necessary cleaning of a great number of nozzles spaced along a distributor pipe I provide a pair of hinges 24, or someother intermediate member, upon each bracket I5 and I secure a rotatable wiper, partly shown at 25, to each pair of hinges in centered position with respect to the nozzle associated therewith. A common shaft 25 rotates a plurality of such wipers so that each wiper maybe inserted in. and-withdrawn from the respective nozzle. In some cases the wipers may be so constructed that it is not necessary toremove the spray plates from their normal intercepting position when cleaning the nozzles. In other cases a ,plurality of spra plates may be moved by a' common shaft, not shown, passing through the links.

1 The rotary distributor is preferably propelled by the reactionof the jets or sprays. For this purpose each spray, or a plurality thereof, may discharge from the :spray plate in a direction including ahorizontal component. At the same time it is generally desirable to discharge the spray in a-direction including an upward component. This, for one thing, avoids excessive velocity of the distributor arm, under a high head of discharge. Excessive velocity of the distributor arm: would be. conducive to a rain-like distribution ,ofQthe sewage wherein no portion of the, bed, receives from any one arm passage more than an. extremely small depositjeven in case of high-rate flow to the distributor. It is preferable in most instances to provide for a flow through the filter bed, which although of somewhat intermittent nature will more effectively wash out excess biological growth from the bed.

Such operation is:- conductive to highly aerobic,

and healthy conditions in the filter. It is promoted by the spray and speed control, of this invention. All or several spray plates of one arm may be'moved'and adjusted by a common shaft.

The jet which issues from the'nozzle and irnpinges on'the spray plateis approximatelycylindrical. impingement upon the smooth-inclined I and fixed plate converts the cylindrical jet into a sheet which fans'out upwardly and laterally.

The sheet discharged from the plater'etains its coherence overa considerable: portion of its upward and lateral travel. At a point near the peak of the parabola the coherent sheet of water" breaks up into individual drops, anda sheet of such drops falls upon the filter.

Due' to this manner of discharging the water over a path. of sufiicient length, and breaking up the jet or sheet, I provide a particularly well aerated spray, thus relieving the filter and particularly-the top layer thereof, of part of its work. f i .The sprayreaching the filter surface in the iormjof drops covers a zone extending along a considerable part ofthe filter radius, due to the tanning out ofthe spray. I have. found that with The precise length of the zone covered by each spray of course depends on the head of discharge through the nozzle and the inclination of the spray plate. Generally it is desirable to have adjoining zones from adjacent nozzles join one another in unbrokensequence, with no overlapping.

' Such adjoining zones may be provided by uniform nozzles on a single distributor arm, it being possible to individually tilt the spray plate so as to compensate for changes of head along the arm. Further compensation may be provided by tilting the plateswhere the spacing of the nozzles differs along the arm. Contiguous zones. may also. be provided by the nozzles of two or more distributor arms if the nozzles are located in staggeredrelation along the several arms. In some cases I may provide for overlapping of mutually adjoining zones, and in such cases I Prefer to'til't the spray plates so that one such, zone may overlap. the next just to the center line thereof, or, toithe point where another'ove'rlapping zone ends." Thus each spray will dose uniformly an elongated area whose width may be readily varied byadjustment of the spray-device. p

Thus I provide accurate filter bed coverage and adesirable type of flowto all portions of the filter, with a relatively small number of arms ,and

nozzles, thereby saving both, capital cost andjopcrating head loss. a

The apparatus can obviously be modified in various respects, intended to be covered by the appended. claims.

I claim: I j V 1. In sewage treating apparatus comprising a triclding filter bed, ahorizontally extending distributing arm mountedfor rotation over said bed, and a plurality of sewage discharge orifices along said arm, improved means for controlling the reactive ei'fectof the liquid discharge through at least one of said orifices and the form of a spray obtained therefrom, said means comprising a defiector plate carried by said arm and adjust-ably.

2; A device for attaching to a fiuid distributor system comprising a fluid discharge orifice, a deflector plate and means for adjustably but rigidly holding said plate in a desired spacial and angular relation to said orifice, said means comprising a bracket member and a link member, said link member being pivotally mounted at one end on.

' and outwardly fromsaid orifice, said plate-having a curved upper edge. r

3. A devicefor attachment to a sewageedisltributor system to cooperate with a discharge ,orifice in suclra system, said device comprising a deflector plate and means for adjustably maintaining said plate in a desired spacial and angular relation to said orifice, said means comprising a bracket member adapted to be held in place against apoint of said distributor system adjacent said orifice, and means including a movable arm for mounting said deflector plate on said bracket member adjustably horizontally and angularly relative to said orifice, and means for holding said plate rigidly in place against the force of the jet issuing from the orifice.

4. A device for attachment to a sewage distributor system to cooperate with a discharge orifice in such a system, said device comprising a deflector plate and means for adjustably maintaining said plate in a desired spacial and angular relation to said orifice, said means comprising a bracket member adapted to be held in place against a point of said distributor system adjacent said orifice, a movable member mounted on said bracket member, said deflector plate being mounted on an end of said movable member, the said mounting comprising one joint through which the plate may be moved laterally toward or away from said orifice and another joint through which the plate may be tilted angularly relative to the axis of the orifice, and means at at least one of said joints for holding said plate rigidly in place against the force of the jet.

5. In sewage treating apparatus, the combination of a rotatable distributor arm and means for causing and controlling the rotative speed of said arm, said means comprising a horizontally directed discharge orifice and a plate supported to receive the discharge from said orifice, said plate having its surface inclined upwardly and outwardly from said orifice and having a curved upper edge, and being supported by a plate support comprising a bracket and a link, the bracket being mounted on said rotatable arm and the link being pivotally joined at one end to the said bracket in a manner to provide for motion of the other end toward and away from said orifice, and said plate being pivotally joined to the other end of said link in a manner to provide for varying the angle of upward and outward inclination of the plate.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 comprising at one of said pivoted joints the additional combination of a stop carried by one of the members there joined, a movable adjusting member carried by the other member there joined, and a spring m mber so mounted as to urge said adjusting member toward said stop.

7. In sewage treating apparatus comprising a trickling filter bed, a horizontally extending rotatably mounted sewage distributing arm over said bed, and a plurality of spaced orifices along said arm, improved means for controlling the reactive effect of and the form of spray caused by the liquid discharge through at least one of said orifices, comprising a deflector plate so mounted as to lie in the path of discharge through said orifice and supported for change of position horizontally and angularly relative to its associated orifice, and a deflector plate support for so mounting said plate including a bracket mounted on said distributor arm and a link pivoted at one end to said bracket and at the other end to said plate, the axes of said pivoted joints being parallel.

8. In sewage treating apparatus comprising a trickling filter bed, a horizontally extending rotatively mounted sewage distributing arm over said bed, and a plurality of spaced orifices along said arm, an improved means for controlling the reactive effect of the jet and the form of spray caused by the liquid discharge through at least one of said orifices comprising a deflector plat and deflector plate support, said plate and said support being so constructed and arranged as to mount the plate in the path of discharge through said orifice so as to be spacially and angularly adjustable relative to said orifice, said deflector plate support including a bracket mounted on said distributor arm and having an outwardly extending projection normally substantially parallel to the axis of said orifice, and a link adjustably mounted at one end on said projection and at the other end to said plate.

ALBERT B. HODGES. 

